Oyster-dredge catcher.



M. GANDY.

OYSTER DHEDGE APPLIOATION FILED GATGHER.

FEB. 7, 191

Patented "Nov. 10, 1914.

' cation of my invention.

tendant uponthis operation."

-, over which the chain and UNITEDQi T flE ATE MI -Es eAnnYfon cn nARv'ILL E, NEW amass Ya oYsTER- REDGE cA'rciiER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that 1, MILES GANDY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cedarville, Cumberland county, NewoJersey, have invented certain Improvements in Oyster-Dredge Catchers, of which the fol lowing is "a specification;

and the object of my invention is to facilitate thehandling of the dredge on andofl the boat, more particularly in launchingthe dredge'from the 'side'of the boat after-lit hasbeen emptiedof the oysters.

My invention comprises a supplemental: support for thedredge, which support is so mounted and arranged as to gIG Zt tlY 'f EL cilitate the launching of the dredge and materially reduce thehard work usually at- These and otherfeatures of my invention are more fully described hereinafter, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective viewof my 1111-.

proved catcher as applied to theside of a boat; Fig. 2" is a sectional view illustrating themanner in which the dredge engages the catcher when brought aboard the boat; Fig. 3, is a View illustrating the position of the dredge after it, has been emptied of the oysters and is ready to be launched for a,

fresh catch, and Fig. 4, illustrates a'modifi- Oyster dredges, as is well known, constitute 'a rake structure, from which fabag of suitable material extends rearwardly,- with a framemwhichmay be substant ally triangular in shape extending forwardly;

"such frame carrying the rake and the bag.

After the oystersihav'e been caught,- the dredge. is. of course, "hauled up over the' side of the ,boat,and oyster boats are usually provided with aroller of cons derable size, subsequently the dredge frame is drawn.

As ordinarily constructed and/as; operated, the. dredge is dragged over the s de ofthe boat and over the roller"until the re'a'r*end of the dredge rests upon the roller. The

Thisis particularly hard"workfland is a ter-men, and the object of" my invention is t H n p PatentedNov .10,1914.f Application fiieareb ar v, 1914. .Seria1No.817,250. a A o b"iatefthis i g "of the dredge, and

second, toassist in placing the dredge'after the oysters have beenemptiedi'n such position; thatit can be launched'by merely push-y ingitover the side} of the boat. For this purposefl propose toplace a second roller: orbar, a littlefsma'llerfthanthe main roller, disposed *insideth'e same and 'extendingabove' the main roller,"and to mount the second roller or barin a suitable frame roller-or ba'r may be moved by such sp'ring means'so as to impart slight movement to the dredge after the oysters have been emp-w lifting the dredge'for the purpose: of effectingthe launching operation. The spring supporting means-for this roller may be of any suitable character; and are so'disposed which may be hinged or journaled at a suitabl'e point on the boat, and to provideresilient' or spring means whereby the second'lo' and avoiding entirely thenecessity: ofbodily that when they]reactiuponthe roller or bar supporting the dredge, or the frame carry-' of theoysters', they will'not throw said roller g of the same for the purpose lng such roller or barafter'i the weightof the latter has been reduced by the discharge or bar outwith a jerk, 1but wil1 efle'ct an"!- easy shiftin desired. I r. v

In the accompanying drawings, 1 repre-I sents the side of thes boatupon which'a main roller 2 is mounted, which roller may be journaled in suitable blocks 3, and 41s.

a post around which the dredge .chain is hauled 'when the" dredge is takenf aboard. This operation is usually performed by'i'a' oysters" are then dumped, andxin the dump? ing operation'the whole dredge falls tothe deck ofthe boat and requires to be lifted by the menbefore it can be launched again.

small .engine (not shown'fhavingfa suitable v j p drum uponiwhi'ch the chain'may be Jw'ound.

Locatedinside themain -roller2 and dis it posed above the same is an element whichmay comprise a'smaller roller or a bar 5, 10 0" i from thebar as to ride .over .theedge of either thev dredge or the catching device.

which element is carried by a frame 6, which may be journaled or hinged in brackets 7, and carries a suitable torsion spring 8Whose+ normal tendency is to keep the roller or bar 5 close up against the roller 2. When the dredge is dragged inboard, it passesup over the main roller 2 and the supplemental roller (or bar) 5 until the teeth 9 of the dredge come: over the side, and these catch against the supplemental roller (or bar) 5. in the manner shown in Fig. 2, moving the roller or bar and its. frame against the ten? sion of the spring, and preventing the dredge dropping onto the deck. =Ihe oysters are now emptied on the deck, and upon the dredge being relieved of this; weight, the spring 8 will react and move the dredge outboard a slight distance to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that it only becomes necessary for the men to push it over the rollers 5 and 2the rest of the distance for proper launching; I t

The swinging frame 6 is shown as pivotally mounted or hinged at the side of the boat. It will be understood, however, that this structure may be hinged at any convenient point on the boat, so long as it is in proper position with relation to the roller 2 and has proper en agement with the torsion spring to effect retractive movement thereotwith the dredge.

It will be understood, of course, that I; do not wish to be limited to the particular character of spring supporting means employed, since any form of spring that will yield under the weight of the full dredge and react to move the dredge slightly out board .when the oysters are emptied, may be employed.

As noted, I may use a bar instead of the supplemental roller 5, and my claims are intended to cover the use of either orboth devices.

In some instances, particularly where the draft of" the chain is at a'low angle, it may be desirable to dispose the catching means much closer to, the main roller 2, and for this purposeI may employ a structure such as shown in Fig. 4, in'which a plate or bar 5 with a relatively sharp edge is carried by the frame 6 in lieu of the supplemental roller 5.

In either instance, I prefer a construction that may be moved to such a position as'tov release the rake of the dredge should the hauling gear bring the latter too far into. boat. Under such conditions, .the catcher will be forced down against the tension of the spring, and the rake teeth will ride over the roller or be lifted so. high the same; permitting the, dredge to fall onto the deck without danger ofdfamaging I claim:

1. The combination of a boat, and a swinging spring supported member carried thereby for engagement by a dredge.

2. The combination of a boat, and a swinging spring supported roller carried thereby for engagement by a dredge.

3. The combination of a boat, a support, a frame for said support pivotally mounted on said boat and movable with respect thereto, said support serving to engage an oyster dre'dge, and spring supporting means for said support, said spring supporting meansservingto shift the roller and dredge outboard when the weight of the dredge is decreased by the discharge of the oysters. 7 t. The combination of a boat, a'roller support, a frame for said roller support pivotally mounted on said boat and movable with respect thereto, said roller support serving .to engage, an oyster dredge, and spring tenspr-ing-means serving to shift the roller support and dredge outboard when the weight of'the dredge is decreased by the discharge t he oy t The combination of a'boat, a roller member carried by thesame over which an oyster dredge is drawninboard, a second member disposed inside the roller member anda slight distance above the same, a swinging pivotal support for said second member, and spring means tending to hold said second member against the roller.

6. The combination of a boat, a roller carried by the same .over which an oyster dredge is drawn inboard, a second roller disposed inside the. firstroller anda slight support for said second roller, and a torsion spring carried by said support, and tending to hold said secondroller against the firstnamed .roller.

7., The combination of a boat, a roller carried thereby, fixed journals for the same, a pivotallymounted member normally adjacent said roller, and spring means for holding saidpivotally mounted member in its normal position.

8. The combination of a boat, a roller carried thereby, fixed journals for the same, a second roller, a pivoted frame in which the same isj-ournaled, and a torsion spring for named roller. 9 The. combination of a boat, and a spr1ng=supported member carried thereby being movable to a position to release the dredge.

10. The combination of a boat, and a engagement by a dredge, said roller being movable to. a position to release the dredge.

sion means for said roller support, sald distance above thesame, a swinging pivotal holding said second roller adjacent the firstfor engagement by a dredge; said member spring supported roller carried thereby for 5 said frame; said member being movable Witnesses:

1,117,023 a a t 11. The conibinat-ioniofa boat, a pivotally In testimonyiwhereof, I have signed m mounted frame, a spring for holding said name to this specification, in the presence frame in a substantially vertical position, of two subscribing witnesses. a and a dredgeengaging member carried by MILESAGANDY'.

against the tension of said spring to a po- MURRAY C. Bonn, sition to release the dredge. WM. A. BARR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing 'the fiomlniss i oner of Patients,

7 l Washington, D. G. j 7 

